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Turmeric Overdose

I nearly forgot to give an update on my little medical issue that resolved itself last week. In February I experienced massive water retention in my hands to the point where I could not make a fist. My hand would puff up like a balloon. At first my physician thought I was having an allergic reaction to something. After I removed all soaps, detergent and food except beans and rice, my doctors thought I was suffering from renal, liver or congestive heart failure. Last Sunday after a trip to the ER because my mouth was swelling up the new belief was that my house was infested with microscopic mites. It was none of these things.

I woke up a week ago last Monday and realized the only thing I had done consistently throughout all of this was add turmeric to my meals. Turmeric is in the ginger family and it is known for its curative properties. I add it to every meal. For about a year I purchased a generic grocery store brand and late last year finally made a trip to an exotic market and bought a pound of high quality organic turmeric.

Before taking turmeric I was warned to not mix with blood-thinners which wasn’t a problem because as all of you know I am not on any prescriptions. I was also advised that if I take too much turmeric I would experience stomach pains which never happened. Maybe it was the quality of the turmeric or the amount I was taking, but somehow I managed to overdose and turn my blood into the consistency of water. An overdose of turmeric can give provide false symptoms of liver failure and congestive heart failure. Crazy, right?

Once I stopped taking turmeric the symptoms subsided. The interesting thing is about 48-72 hours later I had an incredible amount of energy. I slept for a few hours and woke up bouncing off the walls. I joked with my physician that I found a new way of blood doping and she said that I may have a point. Every time my hand ballooned up water was pushed out of my blood vessels forcing my body to produce oxygen rich blood cells for 8-12 hours.

Blood doping aside I am glad that my hand and the rest of my body stopped swelling up and that I am not suffering from organ failure of any kind. Yea, me!
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Ok, unbelievably it is snowing this St. Patrick’s Day within our nation’s capital. I am taking calls all day today. Call toll-free, 1-888-669-6389, and the price is always the same, $12 for 15-mins.